>> while romney is trying to capitalize on his debate performance, president obama meanwhile on the defensive over his. advisers promise a change before the second debate next week. with just 32 days now till the big vote, every move is critical. as abc's jake tapper reports. >> reporter: before a crowd of 12,000 in denver, the president tried to turn his opponent's polished debate performance into proof of his phoniness. >> when i got on to the stage, i met this very spirited fellow who claimed to be mitt romney. but the real mitt romney has been running around the country for the last year promising $5 trillion in tax cuts that favor the wealthy. >> reporter: in the audience many of the president's supporters expressed bewilderment at his performance. >> i felt like he should have been more aggressive. >> i didn't understand his strategy and thought, you know, i wondered what was going on. >> reporter: sources tell abc news, the president's strategy

was a calculated decision not to risk appearing unpresidential by attacking romney on say that video insulting 47% of the country as irresponsible victims. his aide advised him to focus on policy, such as romney's effort to distance himself from his own tax proposal. >> for 18 months he has been running on this tax plan. and, now, five weeks before the election, he is saying that his big bold idea is never mind. >> reporter: now top democrats and liberal pundits bemoan a missed opportunity. >> i don't know what he was doing out there, had his head down, enduring the debate rather than fight. >> it looked like romney wanted to be there, president obama didn't want to be there. >> reporter: some blamed denver's high elevation for his performance. >> when you go to 5,000 feet, and you have a few hours to adjust. >> that's interesting. >> i don't know. >> the president spent much time looking down at his podium take notes. and squandered easy opportunities to go after romney. such as this moment. >> i like pbs.

i like big bird. i like you too. but i am not going to keep on spending money on things to borrow money from chon ina to p for it. a wide opening. the president took more than 14 hours to come up with a come? back. >> thank goodness, somebody is finally getting tough on big bird. it is about time. >> reporter: many top democrats suggest one of the problems may be one common to incumbents, the president has lived in a bubble, rarely challenged. the obama campaign acknowledged they will conduct a reassessment before the next debate. jake tapper, abc news, traveling with the president in madison, wisconsin. >> such a fascinating point, so true if you think about it, the president inyears , you don't stand next to some one saying you are wrong. challenged. and, that has to be a very different situation and mind set for the president. it was an interesting point. >> you know what i want to know what percentage of the country

understood anything in that debate? taxes, you know, economics, way over everyone's head, right? >> needed a calculator for the first 35 minutes. >> could have been in yiddish, wouldn't have understood it any belt better. >> really policy. loses people. you know you have two wonkish guys running for president. they know policy. that comes across as some one authoritative, knowledgeable. next week will be different. we have joe and mr. ryan going at it. >> that will be interesting. you think if they had britney spears as a moderator, that might have been a little more interesting, she would have broken it down, instead of jim lehrer. >> whatever it takes to keep american's attention. foreign news this morning, u.n. security council is condemning syria after artillery strike on a turkish border town that killed five civilians. syria apologized. fears of cross border war triggered protests. police used tear gas and water

cannons to barack reak up prote thousands. struggling to put out a wildfire. the fire fueled by bone dry conditions quickly scorched 150 acres. some people in shelton, 40 miles from seattle, were forced from their homes. others were put on notice to be ready to get out. american airlines is canceling dozens of flights just before the holiday weekend. as it scrambles to fix loose passenger seats. airline executives are not blaming the problem on its own work force. they claim it is a combination of wear, poor design and spilled soda, can you believe that, causing seat clamps to fail. the repairs should be repaired by monday. >> be careful with your sodas. major financial headline this morning, record low rates for mortgage loans. the rates fell for a second week in a row. 15-year fixed rate mortgages are just under 2.7%. 30-year loans are now 3.36%.

analysts say it is a sign the federal reserve stimulus plan is having an impact. and yet another milestone for facebook. ceo mark zuckerberg says the social network tops 1 billion active users a month. amounts to half of the world's 2.5 billion users worldwide. despite facebook's troubles on the stock market, those numbers are incredibly remarkable when you kid that less than nine years ago facebook was operating out of a dorm room on harvard's campus. >> you want to catapult something you think of, into this amaze thing from your bedroom. >> a wild back story to it. i am a total, facebook, junkie. totally. i am one of the billion. it's changed the world, in a lot of ways. >> is it too much sharing. i remember, mi-6, security agency in london, that the wife of the agent, the head, the guy heading it up, she posted pictures of him in a bathing

suit on face book. running around. got to be careful, privacy settings. >> the thing everybody is worried about, advertising and privacy. going forward. a look at your weather on this holiday weekend. columbus day on monday. stormy and chilly, and in little rock to cincinnati, buffalo. thunderstorms across florida. lingering snow showers in northern minnesota. >> 47 in the twin cities. 50s in the midwest, central plains. 77 in dallas. 80s from new or lanes to new york. and 60s from seattle to salt lake city. well, bee keepers in the region of france have a bizarre phenomenon on their hand. >> they say their bees are producing honey, get this, in shades of blue and green. they can't sell any of the rainbow colored sweet stuff. a preliminary investigation links the problem to residue coming from a nearby m & ms plant. can you believe it? m & ms. blue and green honey, the latest, for french bee keepers, coping with a dwindling supply

following a harsh winter. i would eat it in a heartbeat. turn into cereal, pour milk on it. i don't care. >> colored honey. >> marshmallows. >> even bees love m & ms. coming up next who wants to sell a famous bloodied sock, we'll tell you why. >> later the first beatle's song, released 50 years ago, why the fab four had to fight to record it. you are watching "world news now." ♪ i will always be true ♪ so please please love me do ♪ >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by just for men auto stop. ♪ love love me do ♪

now to sports, headlines, the latest labor dispute in professional sports claimed the first two weeks of the regular season in the nhl. no games will be played until at least october 25th. the players have been locked out since september 15th. the sticking point how to split hockey related revenue. players now get 57% of it. owners want to drop it to 47%. >> the poor millionaires, no. no. how will they eat? the winningest coach in college basketball says she felt forced out after she was diagnosed with early on set alzheimers disease. pat summit says the decision to step down was not her own. summit says she was told by university of tennessee athletic director that she would no longer be coach after 38 seasons. summit announced her retirement last april, eight months after her diagnosis. do you remember this scene -- curt schilling pitching

for the red sox, 2004, world series with a bloody sock. they have to pay the sock to pay back millions in loans. the money was for the video game venture, yeah, went bankrupt. the nfl's week five is under way. that means another round of "world news now" nfl picks competition. >> this is a cutthroat competition on the overnights. go to our web page, wnnfans.com. see the teams that paula, the commish, of course, jack, and i picked this week. for week five. and cast your vote, competing against the fans this season as well. wnnfans.com. go click on that link. and let us know what you think. in terms of teams going to win this week. and not good enough to list your picks in the comments section, a separate link on the page. click that. and take you to the all-important vote. do that. >> okay, that's interesting. while you are on our facebook page check out the series all

week, featuring some of new york city's coolest cuisines. >> a fun week, it's "extreme eats." paula got a chance to make the perfect pickle at the pickle guys. you can see, she learned plenty about pickles. got down and dirty with the pickles. see the club does the justice. log on to wnnfans.com, see all three parts of the series, we did pickles with paula, meatballs with me. one of our, dnas, amanda did donuts. we hdidn't have picks on set. we have them now. >> pineapple pickles here. sweet pepper pickles. >> garlic olives something else. sound good. and sour ones. which are you going to try. >> the pineapple. >> go for it. >> pickled pineapple. okay. >> try it. let knee knme know. >> oh, it's like a sweet, sour,

pineapple pickle. it is really good. >> i think she likes it. we'll be back, everybody. stay with us. >> really good.

reaching a milestone. >> this is the 50th anniversary of the famous beatles song, "love me do." abc's david wright reports on the music magic. ♪ >> reporter: the song that would change rock 'n' roll history almost didn't. ♪ love love me do ♪ you know i love you >> reporter: this was supposed to be the beatles' debut single. ♪ how do you do what you do to me ♪ >> reporter: how do you do it by mitch murray, the beatles hated it. they begged to record one of their own songs. they did three takes, john, paul, george, and pete best.

pete was out. ringo came in. andy white came in. ringo demoted to tambourine. ♪ so please love me do ♪ >> reporter: that's the version on their first american single. timeless? we think so. ♪ i know i love you come on. ♪ i'll always be true ♪ please >> we asked the experts at robert louis stevenson elementary school. the fourth and fifth grade class. we will play name that tune. the beatles are their grandparents' music. one hand shot up right away. from a lot of the others, blank stares. >> do you have any green day songs? ♪ i will always be true >> reporter: it may not be on their ipods, but they couldn't resist the beat. ♪ love me do >> reporter: david wright, abc news, los angeles.

>> makes you feel old that they had no idea, the beatles. makes you feel good, they still caught the beat. they still. look. look, the comeback album. look at us, baby. >> look at that, wow. [ mother bear ] you're not using too much are you, hon?

[ female announcer ] charmin ultra soft is so soft you'll have to remind your family they can use less. it's made with extra cushions that are soft and more absorbent. plus you can use four times less. charmin ultra soft. how can the dishwasher do its job ? adding finish power up to your detergent brings your dishwasher back to life. dishwasher buildup, cloudiness, spots, even tough stains-- gone ! so don't give up. add finish power up. wow ! see the difference.

welcome back, everybody. time for "the mix." of course, all the talk this week since the debate is about everyone, favorite bird, big bird. >> superstar, big bird. he sent out some interesting texts. he was the star when mitt romney said he is not going to borrow anymore. he would consider cutting funding to pbs, which of course the host for, big bird. and so, creating lots of buzz in the twittersphere. hash tag trending. he sent out my bedtime is usually 7:45. but i was really tired yesterday and fell asleep at 7:00. did i miss anything last night? big bird in bed for his big debut.

another one, today is brought to you by the letter u, for unemployed. i love that one. >> then in the corner, saying will work for food. poor big bird, will end of in the trash can with oscar, he is so poor. >> they said his funding is entirely reliant on pbs. don't fret. he still has a future. >> there is some security for big bird. regardless who is in office. >> very comforting to hear. some where resting up and he will be okay. finally team for the polka. ♪ that's the world news polka ♪

♪ it's late at night you're wide awake and you're not wearing pants ♪ ♪ so grab your "world news now" mug and everybody dance ♪ ♪ have some fun be a pal every anchor guy and gal ♪ ♪ do the "world news" polka >> i read the news today. ♪ ♪ who cares what the bosses think they're a goofy crew ♪ ♪ and if your neighbors call the cops here's all you have to do ♪ ♪ move ♪ when they yell it's half past three tell them hey it's news to me ♪ ♪ that's the "world news" polka ♪ ♪ they make us work the graveyard shift that's why we go for broke ♪ ♪ so why not tune in abc and join our little joke ♪ ♪ five whole days every week ♪ we're here with a tongue in cheek that's the world news polka that's the world news polka do the world news polka ♪ ♪ yeah yeah yeah yeah ♪

this morning on "world news now" -- airline anxiety. american airlines ground half of its fleet of boeing 757 jets. >> those planes have problems with seats coming loose, and the airline is not blaming it on its work force. it is friday, october 5th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning, i am reena ninan in for paula faris. >> new blood at the desk. >> thank you, rob it's nice. >> you watch the show. you have two young ones. >> i do, this is usually feeding time right about now. >> feels oddly normal. >> my husband is awake. >> good to have you, welcome.

>> great to be here. >> happy friday, i'm rob nelson. the move by american airlines could impact holiday weekend travelers and get the latest from investigators in a second. that is our top story this friday. on top of that also federal agents crack down on doctors, nurses and medical professionals accused of stealing hundredof millions of dollars. why this bus was significant. also, cheerleaders known as the god squad. they bring christian enthusiasm to the high school football field igniting a debate over religion in public schools. find out what a judge had to say about this. later in this half-hour, a special edition of "insomniac theater," director of the smash movie "smash" here with us live to talk about the film just about to open and getting amazing reviews, even some oscar buzz. it rocked the house at sundance. and director is here to give us all the scoop on that. looks really, really good. and very real as well. so, we'll have him here at the

desk in a few minutes. first more turbulence for american airlines as the carrier cancels dozens of flights over a safety issue. >> american now says it knows what caused the locking mechanisms to fail and seats to become unhinged. now the problem has to be fixed. here is abc's jim avila. >> reporter: american has grounded half its fleet of 757s, its domestic long-range workhorse taken out of service for a second round of faa monitored fixes to prevent passenger seats from becoming dislodged in the air. in one case they even fell over backwards. the airline's engineering team decided the locking mechanism that secures the seats to the floor must be enhanced. >> we had a very unique situation of a floor mounting track that had become some what worn and it was coked up with drinks and sodas, drinked spilled over time. and seats become dislodged. >> a set back for american

airlines, suffered record delays in september for what it blamed on labor troubles claiming pilots intentionally caused delays twice as often as competitors something the pilots' union has denied. the seater to ratcheted airline troubles to a safety issue. seats on three flights had come unhinged. earlier this week american said it finished inspections but is ordering mechanics to fix the seats again wherever the 48 planes involved land next. a move that will cause cancellations and more delays through saturday. jim avila, abc news, washington. what a rough few weeks for american. >> can you imagine? >> bankruptcy, trouble with pilots, all this. in case you are wondering abut airlines out there. united airlines don't use the same kind of seats. u.s. airways use different hardware. they're saying we are not having same problems. competitors like to say, we are all right. >> we're good, come joan us. absolutely. i know. you can't get food on the plane. now you got to bring your own seats what it feels like. what is this coming to?

>> for a fee. >> exactly. >> the fee. we will turn to the growing meningitis outbreak. linked to contaminated steroid from a massachusetts pharmacy. federal officials are warning doctors not to use any medicines made at the new england compounding pharmacy. at least six people have died and there my be as many as 35 cases across six states. the victims became ill after getting a steroid shot for back pain. nearly 100 doctors, nurses, and professionals are facing fraud charges this morning as part of a seven city crack down on medicare scammers. abc's mark greenblat has details. >> reporter: looking at the second medicare fraud bust in history. miami arrests some of the 91 doctors, nurses and medical professionals taken down nationwide. altogether, they stand accused of a whopping $430 million in fraud. such activities not only siphon precious taxpayer resources

drive up health care costs and jeopardize strength of the medicare program they also victimize most vulnerable members of society, the elderly disabled and impoverished. >> reporter: in houston, president of river side general hospital and his son are part of the seven arrests here. accused of running $140 million kickback scheme where patients got gifts but often no medical care. another focus, stopping widespread ambulance fraud. where the government gets build for unnecessary or often nonexistent trips. but from brooklyn to los angeles, hundreds of federal agents strike together to send one clear message to crooks. >> health care fraud has never been a worse proposition than it is today. you are more likely to get caught if you do make a fraudulent claim. and when you do, you will pay a bigger price. >> one extreme case, federal officials say a doctor in dallas often signed stacks of documents

without any review in a scheme to bring in as much money as fast as he could. mark greenblat, new york. >> the way it would work. doctors would give kickbacks to patients, bill medicare for the kickbacks. how they were collecting money here. you hear all the presidential contenders from, this election, and way back, talk about scouring the budget, getting rid of fraud. here you go. it's still going on. costing all of us. >> you feel so vulnerable when you have gone into a hospital, you got this outlandish crazy bill, hear about something like this, it boils my blood when i hear about it. >> it does, so rampant and brazen. >> absolutely. >> arrogance of thinking they won't get caught. some one won't say wait a minute. >> check into it. i get furious when i hear the medical bills and medicaid stories, and social security even, we are never going to see social security, rob, by the way. >> no. >> 6% of your paycheck goes into it too. >> rob will be doing the show until 2096. stay tuned. moving on to foreign news

this morning. u.n. security council is condemning a syrian artillery strike in a turkish border town that killed five including a woman and her three children. syria issued a for mall apology for the deaths. fears about a possible across-border war sparked demonstrations in turkey. outside the parliament building, rye yolt police used tear gas and water cannons to barack rea protestors. federal investigators are trying to determine if friendly fire is to blame for this week's shooting death of a u.s. border patrol agent in arizona. nicholas ivy was killed in an area frequented by drug smugglers. two men arrested in mexico yesterday may be linked to the attack. but investigators are not ruling out possibility that he may have been accidentally shot by a fellow officer. meanwhile, ivy is being remembered fondly by his family. >> he lived his life as a life of service. everything from his mission, signing up for -- volunteer, emt

in utah. >> homeland security secretary janet napolitano is heading to arizona today to express her condolences to the ivy family. she is meeting with authorities about the investigation. well, also following a political story developing overnight. mitt romney now says his comments about the 47% of americans who don't pay income taxes were "just completely wrong." that is a major reversal. up until now, romney stood by comments saying they were not elegantly stated. on the campaign trail yesterday, romney tried to take advantage of his strong showing in this week's debate. >> he will raise taxes on small business which will kill jobs. i instead want to keep taxes down on small business, so we can create jobs. >> the real mitt romney has been running around the country for the last year, promising $5 trillion in tax cuts, that favor the wealthy. >> stronger president than we saw during the debate, huh. heading into the second debate,

the obama campaign says it is changing strategy. advisers admit the president gave long-winded answers that did not connect emotionally with the audience. what a difference a day makes. >> absolutely. >> timid and lethargic wednesday. then that yesterday. absolutely. forget any preconceived notions you may have about elephants and their eating habits. take a look at these polite little elephants you see here with table manner that would make emily post smile. >> not only that, the asian elephants are working on maintaining their girlish figures stick with fresh fruits and veggies. visiting des moines, iowa, through the weekend as part of the ringling brothers barnum and bailey circus. >> love elephants. >> our snack room at 2:00 a.m. >> i didn't get any snacks. nobody introduced me to the snack bar. >> wasn't the full-fledged, overnight orientation. >> when does that begin? i'm waiting. >> food comes shortly and

caffeine. coming up next, late-night comics get their chance to weigh in on the debate. showed no mercy. >> absolutely not. mixing religion, high school sports and enthusiasm of cheerleaders how it led to a legal dispute. you are watching "world news now." ♪ we are your leaders ♪ ♪ >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by united health care. that's a good thing, but it doesn't cover everything. only about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. so consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, they pick up some of what medicare doesn't pay. and save you up to thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs. call today to request a free decision guide to help you better understand what medicare is all about.

and which aarp medicare supplement plan works best for you. with these types of plans, you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients... plus, there are no networks, and you'll never need a referral to see a specialist. there's a range of plans to choose from, too. and they all travel with you. anywhere in the country. join the millions who have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp, an organization serving the needs of people 50 and over for generations... and provided by unitedhealthcare insurance company, which has over 30 years of experience behind it. call today. remember, medicare supplement insurance helps cover some of what medicare doesn't pay -- expenses that could really add up. these kinds of plans could save you up to thousands in out-of-pocket costs... you'll be able choose any doctor

who accepts medicare patients. and you never need referrals. so don't wt. with all the good years ahead, look for the experience and commitment to go the distance with you. call now to request your free decision guide. this easy-to-understand guide will answer some of your questions, and help you find the aarp medicare supplement plan that's right for you. those spots are actually leftover food and detergent residue that can redeposit on your dishware during the rinse cycle. gross. jet-dry rinse agent helps wash them away so the only thing left behind is the shine. jet-dry rinses away residues for a sparkling shine.

prove it. enough is enough. d-con no view, no touch trap snaps to kill instantly. no looking, no touching. d-con. get out.

♪ ♪ >> rah-rah. there is a battle brewing in a texas town over the role of religion in football. the team's cheerleaders have been encouraging the players with bible verses printed on banners, the players run through at the start of the game. >> that didn't go over well with the school. banned the banners. the girls sued. the judge has given them two more weeks. abc's ryan owens takes a look at the controversy. >> reporter: in this small texas town they worship two things, god and football. so perhaps it only seemed natural the cheerleading squad at the high school would paint bible verse sz s on the banner

players run through. >> we wanted to encourage the boys. >> reporter: it offended some one. the person come mraeplained to group, it amounted to a school advocating a religion. that is unconstitutional. >> it is not a christian school. they can not misuse their authority. >> reporter: in response the school superintendent forced them to stop the scriptures, so the cheerleaders put down the pom-poms and picked up the phone calling an attorney. he argues the banners are not school sponsored, that the girls came up with the idea by looking at the social networking website pinterest. cheerleaders in georgia did the same thing a few years ago. it turned out they were banned by their school too. >> student led and student initiate. >> reporter: this community is now cheering for the cheerleaders. signs of support are all over town. and online. this facebook page dedicated to

their fight now has nearly 50,000 followers, that's 25 times more people than live here. when people say, these people came to a football game, not to church. what do you say? >> i mean they have the right to say whatever they want to say. but, it's our religion we want to portray that. >> reporter: ryan owens, abc news, texas. >> religion and public life always is a hot debate. >> you never have anything, it's not a quiet. one side or the other. no in between. >> very little gray in that one. the judge said he need a few more weeks to issue a final ruling. he will allow banners to continue on the field. next time this will hit court, october 18th for a hearing. we will see what he says. >> yeah, a lot of people watching this one. >> there we go. reena, a picture of you from high school. >> look at those thighs, wow. >> looking tone and fit there, reena. >> i failed my cheerleader

tryouts. out the door. she is not the cheerleader. >> i like the picture. ahead our friday morning version of "insomniac theater." >> today a live quest, director of the new movie called "smashed." >> go,

>> we turn to a special edition of "insomniac theater." >> a new film debuted at sundance getting amazing reviews, "smashed" an alcoholic school teacher decide to get sober. >> the plot, the couple, kate, charlie, share things, their common bond, drinking. she decides to get sober. leads to a series of event. an intimate look at their

relationship and family life. joining us to talk more about the movie, getting a ton of great press and good buzz, one and only director, james, thank you for being here. >> appreciate you having me. >> good to have a live human on "insomniac theater." what was the motivation for the movie? >> smash started as a conversation between myself and susan burke, co-writer, sharing stories of things we had done when we were drunk if i have a lot. she has more the a wonderfully hilarious comedian, sober, stopped drinking in her early 20s. going to aa. experiences events were inspired by her own life. >> you have an all-star cast. >> yeah, really amazing cast. we have aaron paul, mary elizabeth winsett, nick offerman, megan mulaney. >> how did you get them all to soon up, all-star cast? >> we begged, knocked on their

doors, harassed them. they're artists really excited to play parts in a film they really cared about. >> what was the important part, director, showing the evolution of this, particularly kate and struggles with alcohol, her family, what was important for you to capture about that what do you want people to walk away having said ah, i get it. >> we are interested in not making a socialer eissue film,a feel bad film, or something that should fell good like a bowl of oatmeal, we wanted humor, that didn't ok jemake them broken. it could be any one you know. it really is a story, struggle, redemption in a youtube age of drunk people on the internet. >> we all have a friend, battled addiction, one form or another. octavius spencer, on the to night show how she got into character.

take a listen. >> you don't drink, did you do research for the role. what did you do? >> i don't drink, jay, what does it feel like to be drunk i would drink a glass of wine and fall asleep. and i always forgot what it felt like to be drunk. >> that's character prep people can relate to. >> what is the sense, alcoholism is such a heavy topic, how do you turn that into what you have created here? >> i think if you spend time in alcoholic anonymous meetings, there is a lot of humor, people use humor to process grief and deal with pain, people have shared experiences through that. it also allows an audience sort of access and ability to sort of deal with subjects that can be really tough and doesn't just make you feel horrible, actually allows you to talk about your own, use. >> congratulations here. one, the movie did well at sundance. early buzz, oscar buzz for lead character, so far. one, congratulations. how does it feel to be, you know in the spotlight this, we have a few second? >> very exciting.

beautiful cast. and excited for accolade that actors are getting they gave great performances. >> officially owe snenz. >> october 12, in new york and los angeles. and will expand nationwide after that. >> thank you for being here. go check it out. a good one. we'll be back. um, hello.

these ugly stains are ruining my good looks and style. and good luck using that cleaner. excuse me, miss ? he's right. those are tough hard water stains, and that cleaner's not gonna cut it. truth is, 85% of us have hard water and many don't even know it. you need lime-a-way. lime-a-way is specially formulated to conquer hard water stains. it's 4 times more effective at removing lime scale than the leading bathroom cleaner. see the lime-a-way difference or your money back.

. ♪ ha-ha-ha-ha-ha >> some say president obama's performance in wednesday night's debats was no laughing matter. there are some men who would disagree with that. >> they are esteemed pundits of political humor, icons of late night laughter and a lack now at what they had to say. >> he just told the moderator -- who works at pbs, i am going to throw your -- out on the street, old man! you -- not only you -- but all of those freeloading muppets.

that takes not just one ball, but two. two enormous balls. ha-ha-ha! >> mitt romney won the debate last night which means president obama lost two fights on his anniversary last night. the president seemed a little bit out of it last night. he had all the enthusiasm of a husband talking to his wife's friend at a dinner party. he kept looking down and frowning, like he was trying to find something on apple maps. only thing that could salvage his performance if the body of bin laden fell on stage. >> could have water boarded aladd aladdin, put down blue, and deported dora the explorer and won walking away. romney won with the sound up. >> you're entitled to your own

plane and house but not your own facts. >> dude, he is yelling at you. look up! lookok up! what are you looking at? what are you writing that is so important? oh, that's nice. i didn't realize. that is impressive work. >> oh, my gosh. i love that. >> good stuff, guys. >> finally, to another race, one as close as the presidential contest. >> family sescircle's, cookie bakeup, ann romney's m & m, versus michelle obama's cookies. another winner 51.5% to 41.5%, 287 votes, michelle obama takes a sweep. a look at the cookies. 9,000 readers weighed in. the baek ykeoff has been a bellwether of the election four out of five elections. makes me hungry. >> first lady's cookies did better than the p it was rough.

>> we'll be back.

this morning on "world news now" -- romney's reversal. the candidate now says his comments about the 47% were 100% wrong. >> he is trying to build on his debate momentum, while president obamtries to regroup. it is friday, october 5th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning. i'm reena ninan in for paula faris today. >> paula is off spending time with her sister who is in town. enjoy the long weekend, ms. faris. your first time on the overnights. you got to abc news, how many months ago? >> six months now. >> yes, you are still learning the ropes. around here. >> still learning the ropes. i will take any tips you can

offer. >> yeah. >> is there a little sheet you can pass off to me? >> the bathroom is up there. snack room is up there. my tips. based in d.c., you are with us tonight. >> that's right -- looking forward to it. spending the morning with you, so early in the morning. is this night or morning? haven't figured it out? >> the fact that you have two very young kids at home, impressed you are awake and smiling. i tip my hat. >> thank you, rob. thank you. >> nice to have you here. good morning, everybody, i'm a rob nelson. we'll get the latest from the campaign trail in just a second. also this half-hour, millions of drivers are watching gas prices soar out of sight. $6 a gallon on the horizon in the state of california. ouch. then welcome to the 1%. we'll meet the iowa couple who just have come forward to claim the $200 million powerball prize. >> what a dream moment. find out, i hit those numbers. $200 million. >> i tell myself, it's 50% tax. don't feel bad. if you don't win the lottery. >> i will take the $100 million.

make it work for a couple months. later on in the half-hour, the diva drama on "american idol" still spinning out of control. nicki minaj versus mariah carey. and our own barbara walters has a huge scoop about a threat involving a gun, yeah, things got that serious. coming up in "the skinny." stay tuned. first, a major admission from mitt romney, the candidate now saying the remarks he made about the 47% were completely wrong. >> the reversal as romney tries to capitalize on his winning debate performance earlier this week. a critical time with just over a month until election day. abc's t.j. winick covering the campaign for us. good morning, t.j. >> reporter: good morning, rob and reena. mitt romney rose to the occasion by all accounts on wednesday night and looks to continue the momentum. seen my many political analysts and average voters as the winner, political challenger, mitt romney echoed his performance. >> he will raise taxes on small

business which will kill jobs. i instead want to keep taxes down on small business so we can create jobs. >> reporter: it will be a few days before we will know if romney's strong debate performance will translate into higher poll numbers. romney stumped in virginia for an early evening rally. >> when paul ryan and i get to washington we'll begin a real recovery that will put america back to work again. >> reporter: reaction from president's supporters was immediate. >> i felt like he should have been more aggressive. >> reporter: mr. obama targeted what he said was the real difference between the quote, real mitt romney's budget plan and what his opponent said on stage. >> the fact is governor romney's math just doesn't add up. and i had to spend a lot of time last night trying to -- pin it down. he traveled to wisconsin where he told the second rally -- >> i want to make sure i got this straight. he will get rid of regulations on wall street, but he is going to crack down on sesame street. >> reporter: in a brutally frank admission the obama campaign said they will make strategic changes after the disappointing debate performance wednesday

night. rob? reena? >> thank you, t.j. interesting stat on the debates. 67 million people tuned in. it was the most watched debate since 1992, take you back, that was clinton. clinton. the first president bush, and ross perot. remember, ross perot. that was -- that was quite an election. >> lots of fodder for "saturday night live." >> dana carvey, yeah. >> democratic operatives were hoping no one was watching the bate. which they knew wasn't the case. but -- >> people thought maybe 40 million, 50 million. 67 million no one expected the number. so that really compounds how bad it was. the president had a bad night that many people watching. again, that's momentum for romney to ride. he is. >> doesn't compare to the ratings for this show. nowhere near. nowhere near. >> 67 million. child's play for the overnight. please. well, a disagreement over politics got so heated that police say a south florida man slapped his own wife.

74-year-old jay harley broke down in tears as he appeared before a broward county judge. harley says he loves his wife but they got into an argument over dinner about the candidates. he has been ordered to stay away from her until another court appearance. whew, folks it ain't that serious. calm down. wow. >> revved up. american airlines is canceling or delaying dozens of flights today in order to fix that dangerous safety problem involving seats. the carrier says it has figured out what was causing those seats to become loose. >> we had a very unique situation of a floor mounting track that had become somewhat worn and it was coked up with drinks, sodas, things spilled down it over time and allowed the seats to become dislodged. american mechanics have to fix the air crafts. all the work expected to be done by tomorrow. frightening scene in downtown san antonio after a school bus crashed through a

highway guardrail and plunged nearly 20 feet onto the doorstep of a hotel below. the bus broke in two when it landed. amazing though, two adults and only a child on board suffered relatively minor injuries. lucky, lucky. >> very lucky there. gas prices are going up across the country. but in california, they're soaring to a panic level. hovering near the $6 mark. parts of the states are seeing prices at the pump nearing the highest price this year, jumping 8 cents in one night. the uptick is being blamed on the supply problem due to refinery and pipeline outages. >> i have never seen $5.99, $6 a gallon. that's insane. >> it's a really terrible week for gas prices. and the worst week we have ever had in october i can remember. >> independent gas station owners have been hit hard, they're forced to buy gas at daily rates and some say their profit is maybe just around 10% a gallon. >> that is absolutely crazy. 10 cents a gallon profit. that's insane. $6 a gallon. talking, people freaking out

over $5. now $6 -- could get up to $6 in the west. a state that doesn't rely on public transportation. drivers in the west feeling it. >> i would say get a vespa. i wanted to get a vespa. live in the city. always wanted. never told my parents or husband. secretly wanted a red vespa. >> you would drive it, you think it is cute, or friendly. >> cute, easy to snip in and out. my mother would be like terrified. >> you know it is a glorified moped. but it is good on $6 a gallon gas. that's for sure. >> that's right. moving on to other news. a new wildfire burning out of control in washington start. is now threatening a dozen homes. the fire which is being fueled by bone dry conditions, quickly scorched 150 acres, 40 miles southwest of seattle. some people were forced to evacuate. others have been put on notice. officials say no part of that fire has yet to be contained. also, people in fargo are bundling up this morning after getting their earliest snowfall

in more than 25 years. the gusty winds made the snowfall seem a little more blustery. look at that. 6,500 homes and businesses lost power in all that mess. parts of northern minnesota, fared a lot worse. they got more than a foot of snow. man, talking about snow, and it's not even halloween yet. and it's october. oh, i hate cold weather. >> i prefer cold over warm and humid. >> really? >> yeah. definitely. any day. any day. >> that's where we part ways, reena. give me 90 degrees and sweaty any day. here is your friday forecast. that cold blast continue as -- that cold blast continues across the rockies, plains and midwest. chilly wet and windy from little rock and st. louis to chicago and buffalo. showers in orlando, miami. humid along the gulf coast. >> summerlike on the east coast. 80s in fact from new york done to miami. yes. 50s from kansas city to detroit. 38 in billings and 41 in fargo. all right, well time now, a

new gesture we do on the show for our favorite story of the day. we stamp it like that and look at the graphic s team comes through like that. >> oh, good. >> beautiful, our favorite story of the day if you are a fan of all the cable tv wedding shows, you know. >> who isn't? >> nuptials turn into major productions. >> i love the show. they are low key and one-on-one. unusual if you are guy named brad who has a little bit in his blood, turning his proposal to emily into a full-blown epic. the cast included almost everyone they ever met. he finally ended up popping the question on the beach, by the way, evelyn did say yes. brad had fireworks ready to go as one would normally have for the proposal. you just -- they were topping each other over and over, youtube videos. >> crazy. got to keep up with the joneses when it comes to engagements. how did your husband do it, subtle or -- >> it was pretty -- table mountain in capetown, south

africa, had no idea it was coming. >> beautiful. >> i did tell him, honey, i'm getting married in september with or without you. you decide. >> you set the ultimatum. >> you can be the groom or you can eat some wedding cake and be a guest. you decide, babe. >> i like that. >> wedding in september. >> with or without you. i like that. well, coming up. rumors about j-lo, rocking a very prominent piece of jewelry. some rumors now about what she is up to. >> the iowa couple who did some home work before cashing in on a huge powerball prize. you are watching "world news now." ♪ ♪ i said money ♪ ♪ money changes everything >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by cascade all-in-one complete. yes, you do! don't! i've washed a few cupcake tins in my day... oh, so you're a tin expert now. whoa nelly! hi, kitchen counselor here. he's actually right... with cascade complete.

see cascade complete pacs work like thousands of micro-scrubbing brushes to help power away tough foods even in corners and edges. so, i was right, right? i've gotta run. more dishwasher brands in north america recommend cascade.

prove it. enough is enough. d-con baits are specially formulated to kill in one feeding. guaranteed. d-con. get out.

with such power, [ rumbling, people screaming ] the results could be felt around the world. twice the stain fighting power as the next leading liquid value brand. era detergent. a lot of fight for a little dough. the rid-x septic subscriber program helps prevent backups by sending you monthly doses right to your door so you will never forget to maintain your system. sign up at rid-x.com.

if if you have a pulse, it is a dream of yours to win millions in the lottery. >> please. last week, the powerball jackpot was $200 million. yesterday the couple who won it stepped into the spotlight. we get more now from reporter phil craisen in des moines, iowa. >> ladies and gentlemen, it's time to announce, iowa's newest millionaires! [ cheers and applause ] >> they walked down an aisle made by friend and family to claim their money thursday. >> so, she called me at, at breakfast and i didn't believe her. didn't believe her boss. >> mary is a medical assistant

at mercy hospital, and brian is an attorney at a local insurance company. the new millionaires found out they won and both took a leave of absence. mary may go back to work, she loves it. brian is still debating. >> we also had a wedding that weekend with good friends. able to get out of town, digest it as well as -- enjoy the wedding. >> their wedding gift got a lot better. >> one of the first things they did was go straight to their lawyer. they came up with a basic plan to save a lot, spend some, and donate a good deal to charity. including their church. >> we are going to give, whoo-hoo. one, two, three. >> reporter: they're trying to not let the money go to their heads especially with their young kids. >> one, they're going to get a lot more dates. which is important to the 15-year-old. but, just stay grounded and, you know, don't change the way we, we have raised them. >> our thanks to the reporter. that brings us to this morning's facebook question. >> we want to know how would you spend $200 million?

the question everyone loves to talk about over the water cooler. right? log on to the facebook page, wnnfans.com. to let us know. what would you do? what would be your one indulgent gift? >> a fantastic house some where in the middle of some tropical paradise. >> amen. we ear on the same page for that. absolutely. look, there we are. rob and reena, $2 million. >> love it. just 1% of that. >> fine, take $99%. see you on the other side. >> i said 1%. you will take the 99%. how does that work? i know i am new to the show. >> that's how it works. seniority basis. nice to think about. oh, man. coming up next, more rumors circulating about rihanna and chris brown. >> and the "american idol" diva intensifies next in "the skinny." >> announc

♪ skinny so skinny ♪ we have been talking all this ♪ skinny so skinny welcome back, everybody. we have been talking all this week about an apparent feud going on behind "american idol" nicki minaj and mariah carey. two new judges for the season. showed you the video, telling each other offer. more like -- nicki telling mariah carey off. it got very, very heated. apparently, we're learning how bad it got. prior to the taping of "the

view" on thursday, barbara walters, our own here at abc, interviewed mariah wasn't on the show. barbara got on the show and kind of relayed what mariah told her in the interview how bad things really got. take a listen. >> she said when nicki minaj walked off the set, multiple people heard nicky say if i had a gun i would shoot [ bleep ]. mariah says she can't take a chance and she has hired extra security. nicki has not apologized but they have since been together at meetings with producers and judges. >> very intense. got real scary. nicki, i don't call tmz and barbara walters. because i stand on my own two feet. never needed an army. god is good. insecurity is as cruel as the the grave. guess it hurts to have producers tell you to your face that nicki is the best judge since simon. oh, poor you, keep them lies coming.

>> ow. ow. >> i've don't know what is going on. rough behind the scenes, which will help ratings of course. >> yeah, little something intertwined. >> stay tuned. >> well, chris brown, rihanna. >> more drama. >> you remember the whole incident with them, getting into it. and, well apparently, he's dumped his girlfriend, model. and he is back with rihanna, the rumors. they were at a jay-z concert. they were seen hooking up. >> hooking up at a club in new york. >> so, are they back together? are they not? he dumped the girlfriend apparently. >> that's the big development this morning. he is out of there. spotted leaving her hotel. spotted getting their groove on in the hotel. breaking up with his girlfriend. he said he broke up with her because of his friendship with rihanna. think what you will about them. you saw how it ended the first time. right? >> the debate. the debates go on and on and on. tmz caught up with jim lehrer moderator of the debate. there was this whole controversy over the debaters, the moderators are not supposed to sort of step into the debates

and be kind of quiet. maybe jim lehrer a little too quiet. tmz caught up -- this is what he had to say. >> do you feel you were disrespected by president obama and governor romney? >> i didn't expect much. >> they worried that he was treated like a doormat was part of the possibility. >> yeah. they both kind of ran right over him. give me more time. i'm going to continue. jim didn't seem to have a lot of control in the debate. >> it's hard though, rob. >> it's intimidating. how do you tell the president, how do you control that? has to be a better way. other people have done a better way. i don't think other moderators, martha raddatz, or candy crowley. i think you will see a different tone. >> should have considered simon cowell. for this role. exactly. >> exactly. >> who was on -- >> jim, 12th, perhaps final. real quick news here -- j-lo in paris for fashion week, sporting a huge rock. couldn't get the picture -- couldn't afford it. spent all money on tacos. a huge rock. rumors she will marry caspar

smart, backup dancer, rocking a big ring at the show. apparently husband number 18 could be on the way for jennifer lopez. could be on the way for jennifer lopez. ldberry flavor. now why make a flavored heartburn pill? because this is america. and we don't just make things you want, we make things you didn't even know you wanted. like a spoon fork. spray cheese. and jeans made out of sweatpants. so grab yourself some new prilosec otc wildberry. [ male announcer ] one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. satisfaction guaranteed or your money back. i've got a nice long life ahead. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i looked at my options. then i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. [ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you.

call now and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, it helps pick up some of what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you thousands in out-of-pocket costs. to me, relationships matter. i've been with my doctor for 12 years. now i know i'll be able to stick with him. [ male announcer ] with these types of plans, you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. plus, there are no networks, and you never need a referral to see a specialist. so don't wait. call now and request this free decision guide to help you better understand medicare... and which aarp medicare supplement plan might be best for you. there's a wide range to choose from. we love to travel -- and there's so much more to see. so we found a plan that can travel with us. anywhere in the country.

[ male announcer ] join the millions of people who have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp, an organization serving the needs of people 50 and over for generations. remember, all medicare supplement insurance plans help cover what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you thousands a year in out-of-pocket costs. call now to request your free decision guide. and learn more about the kinds of plans that will be here for you now -- and down the road. i have a lifetime of experience. so i know how important that is.

♪ last friday night ♪ yeah we danced on table tops ♪ and we took too many shots i think we kissed but i forgot ♪ ♪ last friday night >> we both are getting too old to remember who sings that. i'm totally blanking. katy perry. thank you. there we go. from politics to airline anxiety, to a high-profile, broken marriage. >> time for our look back at a memorable week. here is our "friday rewind." >> i know folks in the media are speculating already on who is going to have the best zingers. i don't know. governor romney is a good debater. >> president obama is a very gifted speaker. the man has been on the national stage for many years. >> i have absolute confidence when we get to thursday morning,

george, you will be shaking your head. it's a brand new race. >> under the president's policies, middle-income americans have been buried, they're just being crushed. i will not under any circumstances raise taxes on middle-income families. >> now, five weeks before the election, he is saying that his big, bold idea is nevermind. >> this time he seemed just a little bit detached. didn't want to be there. >> knowing he is behind. he need to win. came in and fought the fight stylistically. he put the president on the defensive a number of times. >> the seats flipped backward. so people were -- essentially on the laps of the passengers behind them. with their legs up in the air. >> i have never seen anything like that in all my years, 30 years of covering the airline industry. >> you say you are optimistic that you and maria will one day be together. how can you find that optimism? >> i always was an optimistic person. i think it's because it's everyone is interested in that. i am sure that, maybe maria doesn't say that, i am sure

maria wishes that we all could be together. >> she was asked what she would think of having you as a granddaughter in law. she said, "we would be so lucky." >> she is fantastic. i love her. >> you know nothing about me, but what you see on the outside. and i am much more than a number on a scale. >> kids are bullying do not let them bring you down. stand up for what you believe in. go with your heart. go with your gut. >> amazing what goes down in the course of a week, huh. >> fascinating to watch. >> and finally, we know why we are up at this hour. sometimes we wonder y'all are up awake. >> that's right. we have been asking you to tweet us your pictures showing us what you are doing at this hour. >> within reason. >> within reason. here is one sent in by alex, clearly watching our show, but he is not alone. rambo. we see here. a yorkie. watching as well. >> thanks for the ratings.

>> announcer: this is abc's "world news now," informing >> announcer: this is abc's "world news now," informing insomniacs for action i love telling big stories about big heroes. but, at the end of the day, real life is better than any story. our service men and women are e real heroes. every day eyey make the sacrifices for their country; for my country; for my son's country. the uso gives us real ways to support our real heroroes. there is a way we can say thanks. you can to uso.org and make a real difference in their lives today. do it.